commentary

As the midterms slip away, Republicans are relying on anti-Muslim bigotry to turn out their base

Published October 29, 2026 9:05AM (EDT)

President Donald Trump stands in front of a screen showing Democratic Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed as he speaks during a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on Oct. 25, 2026. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

With less than a week to go before the midterms, the Republicans’ desperation is becoming obvious. Donald Trump is stumping in Mississippi, where Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith is locked in a tight race, and half the Cabinet is running around giving speeches to people who don’t know who they are. But the biggest sign of the GOP’s anxiety is the resurrection of a tried-and-true tactic: racism.

Only months ago, the party went all-in on red-baiting, accusing mainstream Democrats of being communist sympathizers, a reaction to the 2025 victory of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the primary wins of a few democratic socialist candidates.…